Switch-operating device for street-railway cars



(No Model.) Y D. RIOUX, N. C. BUSHEY & N..L. BYRON.

SWITGH OPERATING DEVICE FOR STREET RAILWAY CARS. No. 572,313.

Patented Dec. 1; 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

DAVID RIOUX, NELSON C. BUSI-IEY, AND NAPOLEON L. BYRON, OF SPRING- FIELD, MASSAOHUSETTS.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE FOR STREET-RAILWAY CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,313, dated December 1, 1896.

Application filed August 17, 1896. Serial No. 602,983, (No model.)

To alfiwhmn it may concern: sections is formed a laterally-extending col- Be it known that we, DAVID RIOUX, a citilar 23. 011 said yoke 9 are hung two levers zen of the Dominion of Canada, and NELSON and 12, each of which has a bifurcated end O. BU SHEY and NAPOLEON L. BYRON, citizens 20, engaging with the laterallyextending spi- 5 of the United States of America, residing at ralities of said screw-sections 19, as shown. Springfield, in the county of I-Iampden and Said levers are each provided with a counter- State of Massachusetts, have invented new weight 24 on theirfree extremities. Aspring and useful Improvements in Switch-Operat 21 is applied between each lever 10 and 12 ingDevices for Street-Railway Cars, of which and said post 15, one end thereof being se- 10 the following is a specification. cured to the lever, and the opposite end, of

This invention relates to switch-operating bifurcated form, engaging with the said coldevices for street-cars, the objectbeing to prolars 2 3. Said spring 22 on the upper end of vide for such cars improved devices whereby the post 15 has a lifting force superior to the a person standing upon a platform of a car weight of the bifurcated end of either lever 15 at either end thereof can conveniently oper- 10 or 12 and the said spring thereon, whereby ate said devices for turninga switch-point of said post, when free so to do, may be autothe railroad-track for directing the car from maticallylifted to the position shown in Fig. 2. one line onto another; and the invention con- On an arm on said yoke 9 are hung two guidesists in the peculiar construction and arrangerollers 13, over which two chains or cords 14 7o 20 ment of the switch-operating devices, all as 14 run, which are connected, as shown, to hereinafter fully described, and more parsaid levers 10 and 12. The opposite ends of ticularly pointed out in the claims. said chains are connected, as shown, to the In the drawings forming part of this speciarms, adjustably, of two elbow-levers 5 and fication, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one 6, which are pivotally hung on a depending 2 5 end of a car-truck and of the platform therebracket 4, secured under the platform 3 of of, partly in section, and of switch-operating the car. Two foot-posts 7 and S extend from devices embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is above the said platform through the same aperspective view of the principal parts of and have their lower ends pivotallyconnected said devices detached from a car, a part of a with the second or longer arms of said elbow- 3o rail and of a switch-pointbeing shown in this levers. The said adjustable features of the figure. chain and the post connection with said el- In the drawings, 2 indicates the end of the bow-levers provide for such degree of movecar-truck, and 3 the platform thereof. A ment of the bifurcated ends of said levers 10 yoke 9, of suitable metallic construction, is and 12 as may be desirable for properly op- 3 5 bolted to and supported on the end of said crating the post 15 and the wheel 16 thereon truck. A vertical post 15 is hung in said in respect to the switchpoint 18, as belowset yoke 9 for reciprocating revoluble moveforth. ments, as below described. The lower end of The operation of our improvements in'movsaid post is bifurcated, as shown, and in said ing said wheel 16 to engage it with said switch- 0 4o bifurcated end is hung a switch-engaging point for swinging it in opposite directions, wheel 16 for engagement with a switch-point as required for giving direction to a car, is as 18, adjoining a rail 17 Said post has ahead follows: For turning the post 15 and wheel on its upper extremity, as shown, between 16 thereon, for moving said switch-point in which and the upper side of said yoke is a one direction, the foot-post 7 or Sis pressed 5 45 spring 22, which acts to retain said post nordownwardlyby the operator on the platform 3, really in the position shown in Fi 2, wherethereby, through one of said elbow-levers 5 or by said wheel 16 is held above and clear of 6 and connections between said elbow-levers the track or rail. Said post 15 has formed or and the levers 10 and 12, causing the bifur-. carries thereon two screw-formed sections 19 cated end of the lever 10 or 12, operated by 10.: 5o 19, whose spiralities are reversed, as shown, such foot-post, to move downwardly upon one and at the lower ends of each of said screwof said screw-formed parts 19 on said post,

thereby rotating said post more or less and setting said wheel in such a plane of rotation that when engaged with the switch-point 18 it will, as the car moves along, cause said point to be swung against or from said rail 17 as may be desired. The continued clownward movement of said lever 10 or 12 then brings the bifurcated end 20 of the moving one of said levers into engagement, indirectly, with one of the collars 23 on post 15, thereby causing said post to be moved downward to such a degree as willbring said wheel 16 lo enough for said engagement with the said switch-point. hen said operator on the platform releases said footpost, the spring 22 causes the post 15 to rise and the collars 23 thereon, engaging the ends of the springs 21, together with the connterweights 24, serve to bring both levers 10 and 12 and the post 15 again to operative positions, as in Figs. 1 and 2. The springs 21 tend to make the said upward movements of the bifurcated ends of the levers 10 and 12 more positive and bring them to proper operative positions above said screw-formed sections, as in Fig. 2. Said screw-sections 19 on the post 15 are arranged in reversely spiral directions With an independent lever for each of said sections, in order to provide for turning the said post and Wheel 16 thereon in reverse directions for engagement with the switch-points, according to the movement required of said points for switching the car.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In switch-operating devices for railwaycars, a revoluble and vertically-moving post supported in a vertical position on the cartruck, containing two screw-sections of reversely-formed spiralities, a switch-engaging wheel hung to rotate on the lower end of said post, two bifurcated levers engaging said screw-sections, whereby simultaneous downward and revoluble movements are imparted to said post, and a spring for lifting said post and wheel, combined with two verticallymoving foot-posts in the platform of the car, and connections between said foot-posts and said levers, substantially as set forth.

2. In switch-operating devices for railwaycars, a revoluble and vertically-moving post supported in a vertical position on the cartruck, containing two screw-sections of reversely-formed spiralities, a switch-engaging wheel hung to rotate on the lower end of said post, two bifurcated levers engaging said screw-sections, whereby simultaneous clownward and revoluble movements are imparted to said post, and a spring for lifting said post and wheel, combined with two elbow-levers supported under the platform of the car, a foot-post for operating each of said elbowlevers, and connections between said lastnamed levers and said bifurcated levers, substantially as set forth.

3. The yoke 9, the bifurcated post 15, containing two reversely-formed screw-sections, supported for revoluble and vertical movements in said yoke, the switchengaging wheel 16, hung on said post, a spring to lift said post and wheel, two bifurcated levers hung in said yoke and engaging said screwsections, combined with means between said yoke and the platform of the ear, whereby vibratory motions are imparted to said bifur cated levers, substantially as set forth.

DAVID RIOUX. NELSON G. BUSHEY. NAPOLEON L. BYRON. Witnesses H. A. CHAPIN, K. I. CLEMONS. 

